City council to consider parking exception
KRYSTLE MARCELLUS / KMARCELLUS@STARADVERTISER.COM
Maliko Street in Ewa Villages in Ewa Beach on Monday, where parking is tight so residents might be exempt from parking 4 feet from a driveway.
The Honolulu Traffic Code says street parking isn’t allowed within 4 feet of a driveway.
A bill moving through the Honolulu City Council would allow an exception, under a pilot project, to that law in one tightly packed Ewa Villages neighborhood.
Bill 4 allows vehicles to get within 4 feet of public and private driveways along Halolani and Maliko streets but not encroach on driveways. The bill is up for a second reading and a public hearing at Wednesday’s 10 a.m. Council meeting at Kapolei Hale.
The measure received preliminary approval from the Council Transportation Committee on Thursday.
Councilman Ron Menor, who represents the area, told committee members that he introduced the bill at the request of residents who say street parking has become an ever-growing problem.
“If you drive around those streets, you’ll find that the neighborhood is very compact where the driveways are really close to each other,” Menor said. As a result, residents have been cited by police for committing parking infractions.
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Because the city-sponsored subdivision was designed as affordable housing, the development was exempted from standard requirements including distances between homes, he said.
The pilot project would allow the parking exemption to run through Dec. 31, 2018. “We’re establishing a very limited, temporary pilot program,” Menor said. He stressed that the bill does not allow vehicles to actually encroach on driveways.
Davina Elgarico said during her testimony before the Transportation Committee on Thursday that she and her family moved into a new Ewa Villages home in 1986. “We felt blessed when we moved in, but I don’t think they took into consideration our kids growing up — and we really have no place to park.”
Elgarico said now that her three sons are adults, the family has four vehicles which cannot fit into a two-stall carport. To park legally, they park in nearby neighborhoods, she said. “We literally have to walk home from another subdivision because we have no place to park.”
The area is known as the Ho‘okea subdivision, but also as Ewa Expandable Homes because it was designed for homeowners wishing to enlarge their homes for future generations, Elgarico said.
Only one resident in the area gets upset when parking laws are violated and calls Honolulu police to cite drivers, Elgarico said. Officers, on the other hand, are empathetic and will knock on doors asking people to move their vehicles before they get ticketed, she said.
Honolulu Police Department Traffic Division Maj. Darren Izumo told those at the Transportation Committee on Thursday that he was once a patrolman in Ewa Villages. “I feel your pain,” Izumo said. But from the police standpoint, he said, the parking law exists to protect sightlines for the safety of pedestrians and motorists.
Izumo said those who park on the streets in that neighborhood tend to commit other violations, including parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant and within 30 feet of a stop sign.
Because there appears to be only one person in the neighborhood who calls to complain about infractions, HPD has made it a point to go in to cite vehicles only when that person calls in a complaint, Izumo said. “If we failed to take action, then he’d have a valid complaint that the officer was derelict and failed to cite vehicles.”
He added, “Except for this one individual, nobody complains. … They’ve fully accepted the fact that this is our neighborhood and we’re going to kokua each other and allow each other to park.”
Izumo warned that the dilemma in Elgarico’s neighborhood is similar to other areas in Waipahu, Kaneohe and elsewhere. “I don’t know if you’re opening yourselves up to those other areas also.”
Elgarico was the only resident who testified in person. Several of her neighbors submitted written testimony in support.
State Rep. Matthew Lopresti (D, Ewa Villages-Ocean Pointe-Ewa Beach) testified for the bill Thursday. “Over the years what’s happened is these people literally have nowhere to park,” he said. “Their driveways oftentimes are filled up. And they have kids and multiple generations.”
Lopresti said he understands the concern police have that visibility could be impaired if vehicles are allowed to park within 4 feet of a driveway. But in this neighborhood “it’s not a through street. … You couldn’t go over 25 (mph) if you wanted to,” he said.
“We need to make sure, obviously, that emergency vehicles can access areas for ambulance and fire, but these poor people, the city, long before any of you and long before me, the city allowed for this development to be made in the way that it was. The houses are so close, you can reach out and touch the next house. They’re like 4 feet apart, so there’s nowhere to put any cars.”
Councilwoman Carol Fukunaga suggested that one solution might be to designate the area as having private roads; police normally do not cite standard parking violations in such areas.
Councilwoman Kymberly Pine, who represents other sections of Ewa Beach, said the Ewa Villages parking situation “really reflects the state of Hawaii right now and the lack of affordable housing.”
Where it once was typical for two or three generations to live in one house, “now there’s four generations living under one roof in many of our districts, and no one ever planned (for) that and that’s why there’s no parking in some of those areas,” she said. “I certainly want to relieve the stress that people already have in their lives by just allowing them to be able to know that their cars are not going to be towed when they park in front of their homes.”
70 responses to “City council to consider parking exception”
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Exemptions to parking rules, not very transparent or wise.
The developer failed to meet the inevitable needs of the community, and the DPP failed to identify it. Now the poor folk in the area are left to deal with it (along with the horrendous traffic every day).
“Horrendos Traffic” doesn’t fall from the sky. Why why why is everything so bad and getting worse? Think a little. It is that “enemy Nr1 – population increase” causing it.
Ghettos created right before our own eyes.
I rather have spa-ghetto pasta instead.
Iwandcah – Not true. Developer was in compliance with all applicable street with and parking requirements when this area was developed, decades ago when there were fewer cars on the street.
All neighborhood plans must be in compliance with city code, approved by the city. City is directly responsible for this problem. Which by the way is common in the Nei.
Next time do your research first before jumping to incorrect conclusions.
Localguy, I never said they weren’t in compliance, simply that it was poor planning for the reality of what was to happen.
exemptions impact safety. No room to pull over.
We have same kinds of issues in Kaneohe. You open that door be ready for other communities to request for the exemption.
There should be no parking exceptions and btw parking rules are not being enforced . That leads to the popping up of multiple party tenements in single family housing areas. These homeowners do not provide proper parking and could not ruin neighborhoods with tenements if parking rules where enforced. People park all over the sidewalks now making it a muddy mess and the mud gets carried on the road , then when it dries it blows into houses and when it rains flows into the ocean. And it is difficult to back out of driveways – you can not see what is coming on the road if the 4 feet parking distance is not maintained. “Tightly packed neighborhoods?”The darn overpopulation ruins everything.
Right on all accounts. Maui has a no overnight parking rule. Funny, this is one way they keep the homeless moving, force people to park on there own property, keep road ways clear, got cited… that’s how I found out. Most hated cop on Maui, the parking cop. Retired and moved away, good thing when you have outsiders doing the policing.
Yes, HPD should enforce the LAW, neighborhoods in Pearl City, especially in Pacific Palisades have cars parked illegally in and near driveways making it a hazard comming out of driveways. Police have been told but do nothing – It is a hazard and someone will get hurt and the City and County should be liable due to non enforcement and pure laziness.
The streets were not meant to have parking spaces for extra large families. You politicians are idiots. I say if you cannot park your cars in your property then you should not have that many cars. Catch the public transportation. Isn’t the rail being built to try and reduce the he use of cars?? But now you politicians are finding ways for people to buy cars- where are you idiots coming from?? Please do not pass this kind of laws.
Yes, in Japan they have (had?) a rule when i was there, you cannot “purchase” a car unless you have a dedicated place to park it. That could be a private property spot (your home) or a parking garage, remote from where you live. But parking on streets not allowed. Time for some neighborhoods to be considering this….or city council. Population is what it is. Growth cannot be stopped. But the city DPP is way behind reality. Rules need to be change for new developments, and reconsider old ones too.
I agree. There are just too many cars per household. Families need to learn to share their vehicles. We need to limit the number of vehicles per household. It is just ridiculous to make some pilot changes to allow for parking. All we need is for an emergency to occur and the response vehicles cannot get through. Wait to a house catches fire, and see if the fire truck can get through. I bet these households with too many cars will be crying then if they are the ones that need these emergency vehicles.
But then that would place a limit on the amount of money the government can make from vehicle weight taxes, vehicle registration fees, vehicle safety checks, etc. It would also limit the many new car dealerships that have a lot to lose money wise should people stop buying their own personal vehicles. Everyone loses.
On-street parking is a problem in most Oahu neighborhoods. Among the reasons for the lack of parking spaces are 1.) people have too many vehicles; 2.) many vehicles that are never driven perpetually occupy valuable spaces needed for vehicles driven daily; 3) garages full of junk, forcing residents to park on the streets; 4.) people are addicted to driving–often one person per vehicle–rather than taking public transportation or carpooling, which would reduce the number of vehicles in the community; and 5.) ever-larger homes, condos, & apartment buildings being built with too few parking spaces.
Wrong answer: There is too many people and of course they have too many cars. Population increase ruins everything. Stop immigration already!
Maybe stop breeding like rabbits? And use that car-port/garage for what it is supposed to be used for, not an additional living/party room.
440 square feet of living area in the garage.
A M E N
In my neighborhood, whs1966’s assessment is correct. Carports and garages are used for storage, cars are parked in the driveway and across sidewalks, and the streets are full of boats, dead cars, and commercial vehicles.
Yup, I see this as well. Maybe the city needs to make an ordinance against using the garage for living space and use it for vehicles only. Try that first before making an exemptions on the roadways.
My neighbor who lives alone has five drivable cars parked along the street.
Not a good move. This place has been like this for decades and only NOW they have a problem ? Too many cars
You say too many cars? Ha! Why is that? Too many people it is! Darn overpopulation is the reason and it is driven by darn rampant immigration.
Too many cars in Honolulu? That’s because the registration fee needs to be increased to a thousand buck from the current 400 bucks.
So many harassment laws in Hawaii that they now have to be recanted back as a exception.
Millennial moving back in mom’s basement is creating a parking problem.
Not safe, not desirable, encourages that mindset of “one person, one car, to heck with the cost or consequence or safety issues.”
Planners should know the # of cars per household. In many countries, individuals can not purchase a car until they show proof that they have an off-street parking stall. Tokyo is an example. They have Toll roads and encourage using public transportation.
You are just citing an example how overpopulation takes one freedom after the other away from us. Tokio, pah what horror!
“Because there appears to be only one person in the neighborhood who calls to complain about infractions, HPD has made it a point to go in to cite vehicles only when that person calls in a complaint, Izumo said.”
That is scandalous. And the cops hint to people who complains. Pretty soon only a foolhardy person dares to complain. Lawlessness is supported by the cops: They should ticket everybody or else the scofflaws park the same way as soon as the cops are gone, and the only upright person in the neighborhood gets ridiculed and attacked by the scofflaws.
Right, also means officers are NOT patrolling . Means they are turning a blind eye. Bet Burg. and theft see up in those communities.
Because the policeman also is living with many cars to his name, too.
Kinda of like illegal aerial fireworks…enforecement is subpar so the law becomes irrelevent. Dangerouse and slippery path to ignore or condone the law. Would not be too sure only one person is complaining…this mess has to bother others. Do not want my driveway blocked.
Try a simple solution first. Got a car jacked up in the driveway for years?? Got a boat that’s broken down in your driveway?? Set up a neighborhood watch and get rid of those things. Sometimes I think it’s a symbol of wealth to have as many broken down “things” in your driveway or lawn!!
Well. The cat needs a place to sleep. What better place then a dead car in the car port.
The residents have to consider that if street parking is allowed right up to the width of the driveway, it may be difficult to turn in or out of one’s driveway especially if parking is on both sides of the street. For adding a little extra space for a few more cars, there could be more headache than it is worth. Good for more space for your own car in front of your house but if not if someone else parks there .
This is why the law was created. There are safety issues that will be impacted by changing it.
And why does grandma have to be driving a cement truck that extends into the road in the driveway?
The driveways are so close together you can’t legally park on the streets there. And anytime someone parks on the street where that one guy lives, he calls the cops. So people who live on that whole street park over on our street making it even more crowded. Come look around… you WILL NOT see ANY boats parked in the street or ANY cars up on blocks. Yes, making the neighborhood affordable housing they got an exemption to have houses and driveways too close together… so why not make he 4 foot parking rule part of that exemption?
I am waiting for Ukuleblues to tell us how rail will solve this problem.
Or his equivalent union cronies supporting the rail.
Ha! I was expecting a comment from Blue also. Somewhat surprised I haven’t seen one yet and I’m almost done scrolling down. Maybe because he would get body slammed for a comment about rail that has little or nothing to do with parking woes.
Privately owned vehicles are the main cash cow for the State of Hawai’i’s coffers. Don’t expect the state to bite the hand that feeds them.
Allow homeowners to park in front of their own driveway. Problem solved!
Driveway is where the kids play basketball.
The current laws regarding no parking near driveways exist to allow enough sight distance for cars pulling out of driveways. Allowing parking right next to driveways will result in increased accidents. The residents just need to cut down on the number of cars per household.
More like cut down on the number of cars per person, not household.
“The area is known as the Ho‘okea subdivision, but also as Ewa Expandable Homes because it was designed for homeowners wishing to enlarge their homes for future generations, Elgarico said.”
If this is true, then really, really poor planning on the part of the city for not requiring more off street parking.
Also, folks licong here were able to purchase homes at affordable housing rates. They should stop whining.
So it’s going to get even worse when the homeowners expand there homes for additional people.
no 4 ft. rule in my neighborhood, not priority for police.
Councilman Ron Menor left a lot of holes in his proposal:
He failed to say if he ran his proposal through the Honolulu Fire Department which needs room for their vehicles to respond to emergencies.
He also failed to say if he has approval of the city’s trash service. Have they “Beta Tested” the proposal? Residents will not have open curb space for their trash bins, not everyone can place them in a driveway. Bins will basically be placed in the street, next to parked cars. This means the trash truck will have very limited space to work.
He also failed to say if every resident has “Beta Tested” the close parking concept next to their driveways, proving if they can safely enter and exit the driveway. Those with large vehicles may have issues.
Lets try it and see what happens. Not many possibilities when the space is so small.
Just get rid of the trash bins, and replace it with a dumpster.
Have them catch the train then they can sell their cars. Lol…
Do you realize that the new car dealerships in Hawaii is the single most ad revenue for the SA?
I’m still mildly curious why the one guy in Mililani Mauka is allowed to park his boat on the street for weeks at a time without being cited. (He’s actually coned off his “berth.”)
It’s who you know.
Yes…street parking space squatting (mostly using POS, expired registration motorcycles) in Makiki area is rampant
Call the cops and list the boat as abandon. How about the community association?
I would think once the rail is complete, we can walk or ride a bike to the local station. At most, each house will need only one car (for Costco trips say). That should solve the parking problem. The rail is a win-win for all…
One car for Costco. Another car for Sam’s Club. Another car for City Mill…
There should be no street parking, problem solved.
Cars have the same rules as the homeless. No cars are allowed to sit and lay down.
It’s going to get just as bad all over Oahu when they start building ADUs. Too many people means too many cars.
So if a neighborhood is tired of being raided for drug dealing, lets just pass an exception to allow drug dealing in that neighborhood. Stupid waste of time.
I rather order my drugs online. Tired of letting the drug pimp use my bathroom.
Wrong answer Mr.Menor! HOW ABOUT INTRODUCING A BILL TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES PER HOUSEHOLD first??? Families need to learn to,share their vehicles and ride public transportation! There are a lot of bus routes available in Ewa especially!
So, where does the ambulance or fire truck park when there a life or death emergency?